The Indian National Congress on Friday strongly criticised the Modi government over the latest petrol and diesel price hike, warning that the move could trigger further inflation and negatively impact India’s economic growth outlook.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh, in a post on X, said that despite international crude oil prices remaining soft or declining for years, the benefits were not passed on to Indian consumers.
For years when international oil prices were soft or declining, the Indian National Congress had been urging that those benefits should be passed on to Indian consumers and that domestic prices of gas, petrol, and diesel should be reduced. That, however, did not happen and…
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) May 15, 2026
Ramesh stated that the Congress party had consistently urged the government to reduce domestic prices of petrol, diesel and cooking gas to provide relief to the public. However, he alleged that consumers were instead “fleeced” through continued high fuel prices.
The Congress leader further argued that the latest fuel price increase is likely to intensify inflationary pressures across sectors, impacting transportation costs, essential commodities and household expenses. He also warned that economic growth estimates may face significant downward revisions if inflation continues to rise.
The criticism comes amid growing political debate over fuel pricing, inflation and the cost of living ahead of key economic policy discussions.
